The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-29
~s1sssern Agriculture.

A letter in the VeksaxQrk EUentnq Post,
from Shelby, N. c., discEisSs 80 sS considera-
BILE length and very intelligently the sub
ject of agriculture in the South The con-
clusion reached is that the Southern farmer,
although prospecting in some localities, is,
as general rule, growing poorer. 1t is
probable that this conclusion is too sweep
ing, and that the impressions of the writer
of the letter are gained from the condition
of the farmers in his immediate locality.
But, be that as it may, it is no doubt true
that Southern farmers are not making very
encouraging progress, and as about seven
tenths of the Southern people are engaged
In agriculture in one way and another, it
follows that much of the business depres-
sion, of which complaint has been made in
all the Southern States within the last year
or two, is due to their lack of prosperity.
OF course there has been great progress in
the South since the war; Mines have been
opened, manufacturing industries have been
established and several kinds of business
have attained such proportions as to attract
wide attention--for instance, the lum-
Der and fertilizer business-and all
have enjoyed a reasonable amount
of prosperity. The farmer, however,
has not made the advance that he ought
Both climate and soil are in his favor, and
so many railroads have been built that he
is reasonably near to market. What then,
is the reason that his material condition is
not better? The writer of the Shelby letter
in the Post gives several reasons, all of
which are good ones.
The Southern farmer cultivates too much
land. He has not yet got rid of the notion
that success in farming is indicated by the
number of acres cultivated rather than the
value per acre of the crop raised. By cult
waiting half as many acres well he would
realize much better results. He can't some
how get hold of the idea that the kind of
farming that pays is intensive farming
The few who have adopted that method
have succeeded even beyond their own ex-
pectations, but for some reason or other
their success has not caused many to follow
them
Notwithstanding the constant efforts
which have been made in that direction the
Southern farmer will not adopt the diver
sified system. He sticks to the one crop sys-
TEN because he can turn his crop into cash
quickly. The fact that his expenses exceed
his crop receipts does not convince him that
he is making mistake. He still goes ahead
buying his supplies at ruinous prices on
credit, and constantly getting deeper into
debt. All of the returns from his cash crop
have disappeared before he has finished pay
ing for what has been consumed by his
family and his stock. If he raised his own
supplies his cash crop would furnish him a
surplus with which to make Improvements
or to rid himself of debt.
But that which makes the greatest drain
upon him is the commercial fertilizer. Not
producing diversified crops, and, consequent
ly, having little in the way of hay, straw
and stalks for fodder, he makes no effort to
collect home fertilizers. He depends wholly
upon phosphates Unlike the manures col
lected on the farm, commercial fertilizers
do good for only one year. They must be
purchased for every crop. The homemade
fertilizers show better results the second
than the first year, and evidences of their
power are noticeable for several years
The commercial fertilizers can be obtained
SO readily, however, that less and less trou-
BILE is taken to collect home fertilizers.
What is the outcome of this condition of
affairss Mortgages, of course. No farmer
can prosper who pays high prices for his
supplies, buys his fertilizers and is burdened
with either chattel or real estate mortgages
on which a heavy rate of interest is con-
stantly accommodating The Southern farmer
to be prosperous must change his
whole system of farming. He
must save all the odds and
ends and raise what he needs for his table
and for his stock. He must collect all the
waste stuff about his farm for manure, and
he must make his land, as near as possible,
self-supporting. When the slave system of
labor was destroyed there was an end to
successful farming under the old plantation
system. The small farms require different
system, and when the Southern farmer
adopts system fitted to the changed condi-
tions it will no longer be said that Southern
agriculture is making no progress.